Indicator container



Jan. 11, 1938. D. H. ZELL INDICATOR CONTAINER original Filed Nov. 25, 1933 EZeZ al4a' UIN .92 9/ 115, (1&112

Patented Jan. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INDICATOR CONTAINER David H. Zell,

Brooklyn, N. Y.

2 Claims.

This invention relates to containers and is particularly adapted, although not confined, to the type of containers which are commonly referred to as banks or collection receptacles and y which may be made in book or analogous forms. This application is a division of my copending application for Indicator containers filed November 25, 1933, Serial No. 699,685.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved construction of this character having improved means automatically operated upon the deposit of each coin to visually show if a coin has been deposited each day in accordance with the calendar or in accordance with a registration system. My invention is intended to induce thrift and systematic savings by requiring the deposit of a coin each day or the accumulation in the bank of a certain number of coins in a particular period of time.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide novel actuating mechanism for controlling suitable indicator dials and which is automatically operated by each coin deposited in the receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide actuating mechanism which will be positive and certain in operation, yet easily operated and effective to control the operation of dials adapted to contain indicia either for a calendar type system of registration or for a simple additive digit system.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel plate or frame having actuating mechanism, dials and all necessary instrumentalities embodied in a single unitary compact structure which will be easy to insert in the container and to be secured therein so as to properly exhibit the indicia of the dials in suitable windows of the container.

It is also within the province of the invention to provide a form of construction having a coindeposit mechanism so constructed and arranged with respect to the actuating mechanism for the indicator dials that the last-named mechanism cannot be operated by the functioning of the first-named mechanism until a coin has been deposited, the arrangement in this regard being such that a deposited coin, before it can pass into the collection chamber of the bank, must serve as a connection through which to operate the actuating mechanism when the coin-deposit mechanism is manually operated. Due to this arrangement, the indicator dials cannot be tampered with, nor can they be caused to register or display the succeeding day or date save by the actual deposit of a coin.

It is further within the province of the invention to provide a form of construction in which the month dial may be operatively seated or nested within a cup-shaped day dial, with the axes of the two dials in alignment and with their indicia-bearing faces in flush and close relationship. In this arrangement, the two com,- pactly arranged dials may be operatively mounted in an inaccessible chamber Where they cannot be tampered with, and means in the form of a key, manipulated from the outside of the casing, may be provided for resetting the dials initially or at any time they may require resetting.

The nature of my invention, its general principles and objects above referred to, as well as other objects and advantages, and the manner in which the new and novel features of con- A indicator dials are mounted in nested arrangement and in which the coin-deposit mechanism and actuating mechanism are so arranged as to preclude the operation of the last-named mechanism save upon the deposit of a coin.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partial elevational view, showing the coin-deposit mechanism from the side thereof opposite to that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detailed View of the coin-deposit slide.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the partition which separates the working parts from the collection chamber.

Figure 6 is a similar view, showing the coin guide and runway plate which is associated with the partition.

Figure 7 is a cross section, taken on the line l--l of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary View of the casing, showing the coin-deposit slot and the display window, and

Figure 9 is a detailed view of the key.

My present improvements are illustrated by Way of example in connection with a book form of coin bank or container l5 the constructural features of which have been fully shown and described in my copending application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 529,4791/2, filed by me on April 11, 1931, and allowed May 22, 1933. It is not deemed necessary, therefore, to describe herein in detail all of the constructural features of the coin bank itself, but only such parts and combinations thereof as will bring out clearly the application of my present improvements and the utility thereof.

in this embodiment of my invention I show a form of construction in which the interior of the book form casing I9 is divided by a partition 84 into a relatively large collection chamber and a relatively small chamber 86. This partition includes side flanges 8l adapted to engage flatwise against the opposite vertical sides of the casing, an offset bottom ange 88 adapted to fit ilatwise against the inturned flange 80 of the bottom end 90 of the casing, and a top flange 9| which closes the top end of the collection chamber 85 and is adapted to iit against the inturned flange 92 of the top end 93 of the casing. These flanges, or certain of them may be rigidly secured to the parts against which they fit by spot-welding, soldering, or by any suitable expedient such as interlocking tongues and grooves.

94 denotes a coin guide and runway plate which is associated with the partition B4 so as to produce therewith a coin passage or chamber 95, this plate being offset at 96 to provide within and at the bottom of the coin passage a runway 91 on which a coin will roll upon its circumference. The lower portion of the plate 94 is provided with slots 98 adapted to receive tongues 09 struck from the material of the partition; and the top lateral flange 9|' of this plate is provided at its opposite ends with open slots |00 designed to receive cooperating tongues 10| struck from the material of the partition flange 9|. The tongues 09 and |0|, having been passed through their cooperating slots, are bent or preened over so as to secure the plate 94 rigidly through the partition.

E02 denotes a vertically disposed channel shaped slide having vertical side walls |03, |03 the tops of which |04, |04 are bent or disposed laterally in opposite directions so as to have slidable bearing fit against the underneath surface of the top end 03, This slide extends downwardly into the coin passage 95, its opposite side walls having sliding Contact with the inner faces of the partition and guide plate 94, respectively. The side walls |03, |03 of the slide are provided with laterally projecting fins |05, |05, one of which has sliding t in a longitudinal slot |00 provided in the plate 94 and the other of which has similar nt in a longitudinal slot |01 provided in the partition 84.

At the left-hand end of the slide (as viewed in Figure l) the channel between the side walls I 03, is open, While the opposite end of the slide is closed by a vertical end |08 formed with an extension |00 which extends upwardly through the coin-deposit slot i 0 so as to provide a finger piece above the top end of the casing. The flange 9| of the partition has a slot ||2 in which the slide is tted for sliding movement; and for purposes of assembly, the said slot |2 is open at one end to permit the insertion of the slide thereinto prior to the application of one of the fins |05 to the slot |01 and prior to the application of the plate 94 in the slot |06 of which the opposite nn is entered. In the present embodiment, in order to provide for the full desired movement of the slide parallel with the plane or the runway 9'! and at the same time to have for the abutment of a coin a solid or unbroken portion ||3 in the flange 0|, the sides |03, |03 of the slide are slotted as at I4, I4, which slots when the slide is moved to the left (as viewed in Figure 1) permit the slide to move along said solid portion H3 to the full extent of the movement required of the slide for effecting its operative function as will presently appear. A coil spring ||5 one end of which is connected to one of the fins |05 and the other end of which is connected to the side wall of the casing, urges the slide in its proper retracted position and of course repositions it after each manual operation.

||6 denotes a tripping or rocking lever one end of which is pivotally engaged with a bearing or boss Ill on the partition, and this lever is provided with a laterally projecting tongue ||8 which extends through a suitable aperture H9 in the partition to lie across the coin passage 05 at the open end thereof adjacent the end |20 of plate 04. Said tongue H8, as clearly shown in Figures l, 2 and 3, extends upwardly at an angle to the plane of the runway 91 so that a coin inserted in the slide and rolled along the runway by the movement of the slide will be forced to impinge upon the tongue and thereby cause downward movement of the lever H6. At the time the coin engages the tongue |18 it has already passed underneath the solid abutment portion |3 of the flange 9| moved along the runway under the movement of the slide and confined by the abutment portion ||3 against upward movement, the coin as it impinges upon the tongue ||8 and moves the lever il downwardly eventually passes over said tongue and falls into the collection chamber 85. ment, it will be obvious that the lever i5 cannot be operated by the movement of the slide unless a coin be first inserted through the coin deposit slot to fall into the channel of the slide and upon the runway 97. positively prevents any operation of the lever l5 except upon the deposit of a coin.

|2| and |22 denote, respectively, day and month dials, the day dial being formed with a cupshaped portion |23 in which the month dial is rotatably seated or nested, so that the axes of the two dials will be in alignment while the indiciabearing surfaces thereof will be flush and in close relationship. The day dial l2| is formed with a hub portion |124 rotatably mounted in an opening or bearing 25 provided for the purpose in the partition. The month dial has a hub portion |26 rotatably engaging a stub projection |21 on a plate |28 secured to the adjacent side walls of the casing. The circumference of the day dial is provided with ratchet teeth |29 of which there is one for each of the day units or numerals (in the present embodiment one to thirty-one); and the month dial is provided at its circumference with inwardly directed rigid teeth |30 of which there is one for each of the twelve months.

For operating the day dial, the tripping level' l0 has pivoted thereto at |3| a vertical lever |32 which is provided with a laterally projecting lug or tooth |33 adapted to cooperate with the ratchet teeth of the day dial in such manner that each downward actuation of the tripping lever |5 will result in moving the day dial the distance of one tooth for exposing the next succeeding day nu- Under this a-rrangeg,

This arrangement, therefore,

meral at the window |34 in the casing wall. The month dial is operated from the vertical lever |32, the means to this end consisting of a horizontal lever |35 and a reciprocating pawl |36.

Said levers |32 and |35 are provided at their adjacent extremities with suitable bearing or contacting parts |31 and |38, respectively. The point of the pawl |36 normally rests against the exterior circumference |39 of the day dial, and in this circumference there is provided an aperture |43 through which the pawl point may pass for engagement with a ratchet tooth of the month dial. There is only one aperture |40 and this, of course, is located in such position that when the last day of the month, for instance, the thirtyrst day, is exposed at the Window |34, the pawl point may engage with the ratchet tooth of the month dial corresponding with the next succeeding month. Referring to Figs. l and 2 and assuming that May 3l is exposed at the window |34 and assuming further that the lever ||6 is moved downwardly by a coin moved by the slide, it will be understood that this movement will result in operating the day and month dials simultaneously so that May 31 will be moved from display position at the window |34 and June 1 moved into display position. The two levers |32 and |35 are maintained in proper operative relation by means of a spring wire |4| one terminal portion of which bears inwardly against the lever |32 while the other terminal portion of this wire bears upwardly against the lever |35. The spring portion bearing upwardly against the lever |35 will, it will be noted, serve as means whereby to reposition the lever |32 and the tripping lever I6 after each operation.

A spring wire |42 has one end portion thereof bearing against the pawl |36 so as to depress the pawl in the direction to enter its point through the aperture |49, while the opposite end portion of this wire is in engagement with the ratchet teeth of the day dial to prevent retrograde movement thereof. The month dial is maintained stationary in the position to which it is moved by .means of a button-like projection |43 provided on the member |28, this button-like projection being adapted to clink into and out of the suitable circular recesses |44 of which there is one for each of the months of the year.

t will be noted that all of the working parts are located in the chamber 86 and are compactly arranged therein. Due to this compact arrangement, the collection chamber 85 may be relatively large as shown so that the bank may contain a large quantity of coins. It will also be observed that the chamber 86 wherein the dials are located is inaccessible. This is an important advantage since there can be no tampering with the dials. In view of this arrangement and in order to set the dials initially or at any time they may require resetting, I provide a key |45 which is insertable through an eyelet |46 provided in the side of the casing in alignment with the axes of the two dials.

This key is made with a reduced end portion |41 of a length adapted to engage at the same time in the slots |48 and |49 provided in the hub portions of the respective dials. Associated with this key is an adjustable gauge |50 adapted to abut against the outer face of the eyelet |46. Through the adjustment of this gauge along the stem of the key, the reduced portion |41 may be permitted to engage both of the slots |48 and |49 or to engage the slot |48 alone. When the reduced portion of the key is engaged with the slots of both of the dials, it will be manifest that through the manipulation of the key from the outside of the casing the month dial may be set so as to expose at the window the month desired. With this setting of the month dial the day dial is of course also turned, but this turning is immaterial. On the other hand, when the key is adjusted so as to engage with the slot of the day dial alone, the day dial alone will be turned to bring into display position at the window the desired day of the month.

It will be evident that the construction herein before set forth is capable of considerable range of change and modication without in any Inanner departing from the spirit oi my invention and I accordingly do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the speciiic details of construction hereinbefore set forth except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a coin bank including a casing having a coin receiving slot and an indicator dial; a coin guide carried by said casing beneath said slot, said casing having an elongated opening in opposite walls thereof, said openings being parallel with said guide, a substantially U-shaped coin moving member provided with lateral projections engaging in said openings, a rock lever carried by said casing disposed in the path of movement of the coin, and means connected to said lever engaging said dial to rotate said dial upon rocking of said lever.

2. In a coin bank including a casing having a coin receiving slot and an indicator dial; a coin guide carried by said casing beneath said slot, a substantially U-shaped coin moving member slidably carried by said casing and movable back and forth along said guide, a rock lever carried by said casing disposed in the path of movement of the coin, means connected to said lever engaging said dial to rotate said dial upon rocking of said lever, and an operating member connected to said coin moving member for moving the coin into engagement with said lever to rock said lever.

DAVID H. ZELL. 

